Humidifier system for air-heating furnaces



Dec. 4, 1951 D. c. BERT HUMIDIF'IER SYSTEM FOR AIR HEATING FURNACESFiled Jan. 9, 1951 FIG] INVENTOR. [JAN/1. C 5R 7' I invention installedtherein;

Patented Dec. 4, 1951 HUMIDIFIER SYSTEM FOR AIR-HEATING FURNACES DanielC. Bert, Monroe, Mich.

Application January 9, 1951, Serial No. 205,203

3 Claims.

This invention relates to air-conditioning systems, and moreparticularly to a humidifier apparatus for use'in a hot air furnace.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedair-moistening device for a hot air furnace, said device being verysimple in construction, being easy to install in 9, conventional hot airfurnace, and bein operable for long periods of time without requiringhuman attention.

v A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedair-humidifying attachment for a hot air furnace, said attachment beinginexpensive to construct, involving relatively few parts,

being protected against overflow, and providing a constant supply ofmoisture in the heated air furnished by the furnace.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent,from the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in vertical cross-section, ofthe upper portion of a conventional hot air furnace showing an improvedhumidifying apparatus according to the present Figure 2 is across-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; h

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the upper portion ofthe hotair furnace of Figure 1, showing, in full lines, the location ofthe open arm of the fitting relative to the associated drain pipe whenthe fitting is in its normal overflow position and showing, in dottedlines, the location of the open arm ofthe fitting when the fitting is initsposition't'o constitute a drain conduit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plain view of a modified form ofmoisture-dispensing conduit which may be employed in the apparatus ofthe present invention.

Referring to the drawings, H designates" the outer casing of a,conventional hot air furnace containing the usual fire box crown l2.Designated at 13 is a horizontal conduit which is secured in the casingH and which extends diametrically across said casing just above thecrown I I2. The conduit I3 is formed at its top wall with the uniformlyspaced apertures M, at least one of said apertures being located outsidethe casing H, as shown at I4 in Figure 2. The aperture l4 enables thedepth of water in the conduit l3 to be measured from outside the furnaceby the insertion of a suitably calibrated rod vertically into theaperture 14'. Secured to the right end of the conduit l3, as viewed inFigures 1 and 2, is a T-fitting l5 having the depending stem l6 which isclosed by a suitable, removable plug l1, enabling the conduit I3 to beflushed or drained, whenever desired, by the removal of the plug ll. Asshown in Figure 1, one lateral branch of the T-fitting I5 is connectedto the conduit l3. Connected to the other lateral branch of T-fitting I5is an L-fitting [8 which is arranged with its open arm angled upwardly,as shown in Figure 3, establishing an overflow level for the water inthe conduit l3. It is to be noted that due to the drip flow of the waterinto'the conduit I3 the overflow of water from the open arm of thefitting I8 is correspondingly small in volume, the

water overflow running down along the outside of the open arm of thefitting l8 and be of the same at the lowest point thereof. Designated atI9 is a drain pipe which is arranged in vertical position beneath theT-fitting l8 and which is located in alignment with the lowest point ofthe open arm of the fitting l8 to receive water overflowing from theopen end of the L-fitting I8 and to convey said overflow water to asuitable drain.

Secured to the left end of the conduit l3, as

Y viewed in Figure 1, is a T-fitting 20 having the upstanding open stemportion 2|. Designated at 22 is a water supply pipe having the manualcontrol valve 23, the end of the pipe 22 being arranged over the openstem portion 2 I of the T-fitting 20, as shown in Figure l at 24. Thevalve 7 23 may be adjusted to provide a desiredrate of drip of waterfrom the end 24 of supply conduit 22 into the open, upstanding stemportion 2! of the T-fitting 29. As shown in Figure 1, one lateral branchof the T-fitting 20 is connected to the conduit l3.' Connected to theother lateral branch of the T-fitting 20 is the float valve 25.

- Connected to said float valve is the additional water supply conduit26 which includes a, shutofi valve 21. When valve 21 is open, water willbe admitted into the conduit [3 through the valve 25, the level of thewater in conduit 13 being determined by the adjustment of the float inthe float valve 25. The float valve 25 may be adjusted to provide, forexample, a level in conduit l3 wherein the water rises approximately totwo-thirds the height of the conduit bore.

In operation, as the hot air moves upwardly past the humidifying conduit13, water is evaporated from said conduit and escapes through theapertures [4. The level of the water in the I conduit I3 is maintainedsubstantially constant by the float valve 25. The provision of the dripconduit 22 and the adjustment of the associated valve 23 provide aconstant supply of water at a 'very slow rate to the conduit I3 whichmay be adjusted in accordance with external temperature and humidityconditions at the location where the apparatus is employed. Theadjustment of the drip valve 23 eliminates the need for frequentoperation of the float valve 25. if the drip valve 23 is properlyadjusted, the float valve 25 will operate only at very infrequentintervals, as, for example, when the atmospheric conditions, such astemperature and humidity, change drastically in such a way as to causethe rate of evaporation from the conduit I? to increase by a substantialamount. If the-drip valve 23 is adjusted to provide for averageconditions, float valve 25 will operate only when conditions becomeabnormal, as for example, when a large increase in the rate ofevaporation of moisture :from conduit It occurs, due to a large decreasein the moisture content of the air moving through the furnace. If therate of evaporation of moisture from the conduit 53 should diminish tosuch a'degree that .substanlially more water is provided by the dripconduit 22than is evaporated through the apertures M of the conduit, thelevel of water in the conduit rises and overflows into the-drain pipeill from the open L-fit;ing 18,.as

above described.

As shown in Figure 4, the conduit it may be formed with longitudinalslots 28, spaced uni- .formly along the length of the conduit, instead.-of being formed with the spaced apertures l4 shown in Figure 2. V

-It will be further apparent that the apparatus above described may beemployed in any hot air furnace by merely mounting the apparatushorizontally in the furnace in the path of hot air moving through thefurnace. In the caseof a conventional furnace, such as the furnace shownin Figure 1, it is merely necessary to form openings diame ricallyoppositely located in the top portion or other portion of the furnacecasing in which the conduit 23 may be secured, no further modificationoi the furnace being required.

It will be further noted that the conduit I3 .spans the entire 'furnacewith all fitlings on the outside of the furnace. This removes all dangerLo'f leaks, caused by expansion and contraction of seams, Welds andthreaded joints. When .it is desired to withdraw'the water containedin'the conduit 13 after the drip valve 23 in the supply conduit 22 hasbeen closed, the open arm of'the f'fitting I8 is swung to its dottedline'position of Fi'gure 3 to thereby constitute a drain conduit for thewater contained'in the conduit I3.

While certain specific embodiments of animproved humidifyingapparatus'for hotair heating systems have been disclosed in theforegoing description, it will be understood that various modificationswithin the spirit of the. invention may occur to those skilled in theart. Therefore, it 'is intended that no limitations be placed on the Inother words,

its top wall, a water supply valve connected to one end of the conduit,and an L-fitting having the free end of one arm connected to the otherend of the conduit and having the free end of .the-other-arm angledupwardly to define an overflow passage allowing water to discharge fromthe conduit when a predetermined level therein is exceeded.

2. .In a hot air, furnace, a hot air space, a horizontal conduit securedin said hot air space and extending across the furnace, the ends of theconduit extending outside the furnace, the conduit being formed with aplurality of openings along its .top wall, at leastone of said openingsbeing located outside the furnace, water supply means connected to oneend of the conduit, and 5 an L-shaped fitting having the free end'of one.arm connected to the'other end of the conduit and having the 'free endof the other arm angled upwardly todcfine an overflow passage allowingwater to discharge from the conduitwhen a predetermined level therein isexceeded. 7 3. In a hot air furnace, an .air dome, a horizontal conduitsecured :to said air dome. andextending across the furnace, the ends ofthe conduitextending outside .thefzurnace, the conduit being formedwitha plurality of openings along its top wall, at least one of saidopenings being located outside the furnace, a T-fitting connected .toone end-of the conduit withits stem extending upwardly, afloat-controlled valve connected to the outer branchof said T-fittingafirst water supply conduit connected to said valve, a second watersupply conduitarranged above the stem of the T-fitting, a drip valve insaid second water :supply conduit arranged to regulate the rate of Tdripping of water intosaid stemfrom said second supply conduit, and .anL-shaped fitting having the freeend of one arm connected to the otherend of the horizontal conduit and having the free .end of the other.arm...ang1ed upwardlyto define an overfiowpassage allowing watertodischarge from the conduit when a predetermined therein is exceeded.

DANIEL C. BERT.

level REFERENCES CITED' Theiollowingreferences are of record in the fileof this patent:

*UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 'Name Date 1,425i608 *Sallada Aug. 15,19221,621,436 Sallada Mar. I5, 1927 2,212;4l8 Hamann Aug. '20, 1940'2,458;064 'Di Petta Jan. 4, 1 949

